1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a method for the extraction of trinitrotoluene (TNT) from high explosives through the use of supercritical fluid carbon dioxide
2. Brief description of the Prior Art
Many military high explosives formulations, based on 2,4,6 - Trinitrotoluene (TNT) are used in a variety of military ordnance applications, such as bursting charges for projectile warheads or land mines. Until recently, the routine method for the demilitarization of high explosive ordnance was open burning and open detonation. The current emphasis on environmentally --friendly technologies restricts the use of open burning and open detonation.
Other alternatives to open burning and open detonation of TNT --based high explosives include melt--out and steam --out of the explosive from the projectile casing. The recovered high explosive from these melting operations is suitable for recasting as low value commercial biasing agents.
While melt --out and steam --out avoid the problems associated with open burning and open detonation, they do not result in separation of the TNT from the filler. The majority of the recently developed methods for the demilitarization of high explosive ordnances rely on destruction of the high explosive rather than recycling.
Furthermore, the primary goal of the present method can be either removal of the TNT or the recovery of other value-added ingredients, depending on the high explosive formulation.
The present invention provides a method for the extraction and removal of TNT from high explosives formulations that does not require the use of traditional organic solvents, The super-critical carbon dioxide is more selective than organic liquid solvents in the separation of TNT from organic high explosive fillers such as cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX).